WESTPORT — An executive with Westport-based hedge fund Bridgewater Associates has been named the new chairwoman of the nonprofit Make-A-Wish Connecticut board of directors.

Tracey Yurko is the chief legal officer, corporate secretary and a partner at Bridgewater Associates, as well as a member of the financial firm’s Executive and Operating committees.

Make-A-Wish Connecticut has helped to arrange more than 3,600 “wishes” for seriously ill children.

Yurko, a Make-A-Wish state board member since 2017, said in a statement announcing her appointment, ”I am continually inspired by the lasting impact Make-A-Wish Connecticut has not only on wish children and their families, but also on those who experience the joy of giving and playing a role in the creation of hope for a child …

“I could not be more proud to work alongside the chapter’s dedicated staff and volunteers on a shared commitment to creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses,” she said.

Yurko graduated from Johns Hopkins University with honors, received a Master of Sciences degree from the University of Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law. 

Prior to joining Bridgewater in 2012, Yurko practiced with the international law firms, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP and Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP.

Yurko “brings strong general business skills, governance discipline and an unparalleled passion for the mission that will lead us to the next level as we focus on expanding the wish journey for every eligible wish child and family in the state,” Make-A-WishConnecticut President and CEO Pam Keough said in the statement.